MRU Cougars join Canada West

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000149 EndHTML:0000002136 StartFragment:0000000199 EndFragment:0000002102 StartSelection:0000000199 EndSelection:0000002102 The Mount Royal University Cougars are movin' on up.
The Canada West Conference announced Wednesday afternoon that Mount Royal's membership application has been accepted, meaning the Cougars will soon be sharpening their claws for clashes with the crosstown Calgary Dinos in the university ranks.
The Cougars will begin competing as a probationary member in the 2012-13 campaign, with teams in basketball, hockey, soccer and volleyball.
“This is one of the stepping stones to the completion of the journey we've been on,” said Karla Karch, the athletics manager at Mount Royal. “I'm extremely excited for our the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at that level and for our coaches to be involved with an organization such as the Canada West.
“It's just really exciting that it's actually here, that the decision has been made.”
Mount Royal officially became a university in 2009 and has been anxious to test their athletes against the Dinos, University of Alberta Golden Bears, University of Saskatchewan Huskies and other Canada West programs.
In the meantime, they'll spend one more season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, where they have built a reputation as a perennial powerhouse.
Karch, a longtime member of Canada's national women's basketball team and a two-time Olympian, is optimistic the Cougars will be able to establish a competitive university sports program, too.
“I can liken it to an athlete that is trying to make the national team in their sport,” she said. “Are they happy just making the team or do they want to be a top-10 player, a top-five player, a starter ...
“I think every school that competes, either in Canada West or ACAC, wants to be the best they can be.”